Located at: 48B Park Street Mews, Park Street, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka

Visited on: 23 February, 2022

We started the night off with some Miso Soup (LKR 260). It didn’t have much seaweed or tofu, but did have a well-rounded umami flavour to it that made it very enjoyable.

Kuuraku offers a few different preparations of pork skewers, so we thought of trying two varieties. The Pork Belly with Garlic Sauce skewers (LKR 600 for 2) were an absolute winner! The sauce was finger-licking delicious and gave the meat so much flavour, it was like a party on the palate. Something unlike most pork dishes I’ve tasted before, and definitely one I won’t forget for a while.

The Pork Belly with Spicy Mayo skewers (LKR 600 for 2) were also good. The mayo was indeed quite spicy. But while there was nothing to complain about this dish, the Pork Belly with Garlic Sauce definitely outshone it – for no reason of its own, but just because the former was SO good.

We tried two types of sushi rolls. The first was our favourite and usual must-have choice – Crunchy Ebi Roll (LKR 1,020 for 4 pieces, LKR 1,980 for 8 pieces). It was great. The rice was just right – not too sticky, not dry or crumbly either. The ‘Special Crunchy Sauce’ on top was an interesting addition, giving it a tiny bit of tartness and an added touch of crunch.

The Spicy Salmon Roll (LKR 1,200 for 4 pieces, LKR 2,180 for 8 pieces) was spicy, as promised, and also came with a bit of topping that included a spicy and crunchy ‘sauce’, with some onion and chives. Not a bad choice if you’re looking for something to make your tongue tingle.

The first choice for our mains was their Ten Don – prawn, fish and seasonal vegetable tempura on Japanese rice (Rs. 1,940). They were out of fish on the day and offered to replace it with another prawn. The soy-based sauce that had been drizzled on the dish uplifted its character and truly brought the dish together as a whole.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Ishiyaki Teriyaki Chicken Rice (LKR 1,600). The chicken was well-seasoned, but – again – what really elevated the dish was the combination of the teriyaki sauce and mayo that it was topped with. It was mouth-wateringly good, and made something as timid and subtle as rice taste delightful.

The third and final dish we tried was a Butabara Don – simmered pork belly with vegetables and Japanese rice (LKR 1,260). This, too, was quite good. The pork was cut into rather small pieces and cooked to the point where it felt almost shredded. The vegetables that had been put in added a bit of crunch and texture, and the sauce for this one was a bit of a red chilli / Tabasco-based spicy one.

We washed the meal down with a pot of relaxing green tea (LKR 540) that brought a lovely evening to a close – outdoor dining on a vibrant street, in good weather and with great food. Looking forward to dining at Kuuraku again.

Yummy rating: 4.5 / 5.0